In this Issue...

1. Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates Recap
2. Mary Barinaga, MD Inaugurated as New IMA President
3. HOD Election Results
4. 2023 House of Delegates Resolutions Overview with Actions Taken
5. 2023 IMA Resolution Prioritization Survey
6. What's Next with Medicare Payment Reform
7. It's Time To Renew Your IMA Membership!
8. No Surprises Act Updates
9. IMA Education Webinar - Legal Issues in Healthcare
10. LAUNCH: A New Grant Program for High School Seniors
11. Medical Practice Opportunities

Mary Barinaga, MD Inaugurated as New IMA President

Mary Barinaga, MD of Boise, accepted the gavel as the Idaho Medical Association’s President for 2023-2024 during the IMA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on Oct. 14.

Mary Barinaga grew up in a Basque sheep-ranching family in Cambridge, Idaho. She graduated from the College of Idaho and the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM). After family medicine residency in Boise, Dr. Barinaga practiced rurally for twelve years in Plummer, Idaho, with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. In 2010, Dr. Barinaga became the UWSOM Clinical Dean, and joined the clinical faculty at Full Circle Health in Boise. She is a Clinical Professor at UWSOM, and a past president of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) and the Idaho Rural Health Association. Since 2015, Dr. Barinaga has served on the IMA Board, and also has served on the IAFP Board since 2007. In her free time, you can find Dr. Barinaga with her husband Doug, playing in the mountains or rafting Idaho’s whitewater. 

She looks forward to serving the IMA - – Congratulations Dr. Barinaga!

HOD Election Results

In addition to the IMA President, other elections were conducted during the recently completed IMA House of Delegates.

Richard Nathan, DO, an infectious disease physician from Idaho Falls, was elected to a one-year term as President-Elect. Dr. Nathan will automatically become President in 2024.

The following physicians were elected to the IMA Board of Trustees:



• AMA Alternate Delegate - Zachary Warnock, MD, Family Medicine, Pocatello
• Young Physician Representative - Jessica Kroll, MD, Emergency Medicine, Boise

Also re-elected to serve on the IMA Board of Trustees were:



• Speaker of the House - Daniel Reed, MD, Family Medicine, Boise
• Vice Speaker of the House - April Dillion, DO, Family Medicine, Boise

2023 House of Delegates Resolutions Overview with Actions Taken

Reference Committee A

RES 101      Relieving Prescription Refill Burden - ADOPTED

RES 102      Supporting Patient Access to Preventative and Emergency Dental Care Under Idaho

Medicaid - ADOPTED

RES 103      Community-Based Camps Medical Volunteer Immunity - ADOPTED

RES 104      Essential Emergency Medical Services in Idaho - ADOPTED

RES 105      Raising Tobacco Taxes with the Inclusion of Electronic Products and Devices -

ADOPTED

RES 106      Support of Tax Credits for Gun Safes - ADOPTED

RES 107      No Contributions to Politicians Criminalizing Medical Care - NOT ADOPTED

RES 108      Climate Change and Public Health - ADOPTED

RES 109      Mental Health Holds - ADOPTED

RES 110      Board of Medicine Disclosure of Complaint Status - ADOPTED

RES 111      Making “Copay Accumulator Plans” Illegal in Idaho - WITHDRAWN

RES 112      Restoring the Department of Health and Welfare’s Ability to Distribute Naloxone to

Community Organizations - ADOPTED

Reference Committee B

RES 201      Reinstating the Maternal Mortality Review Committee - ADOPTED

RES 202      Extension of Medicaid Postpartum Coverage - ADOPTED

RES 203      Medicaid Reimbursement and NICU Levels of Care - WITHDRAWN

RES 204      Opposition to Prohibiting Physicians from Referring Patients for Evidenced-Based

Healthcare Across State Lines - ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 205      Reaffirm IMA Policy to Protect Access to Termination of Pregnancy for the Health of the

Pregnant Patient - ADOPTED

RES 206      Opposing the Criminalization of Evidence-Based Medical Care - ADOPTED AS

AMENDED

RES 207      Reevaluation of Scoring Criteria for Rural Communities in the National Health Service

Corps Loan Repayment Program - ADOPTED

RES 208      Require Friday House of Delegates Attendance for Sunday Voting - ADOPTED

RES 209      Virtual Participation in the House of Delegates - ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 210      Two to Three-Year Reappointment Credentialing - ADOPTED

RES 211      Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips - ADOPTED

2023 IMA Resolution Prioritization Survey

As a means to provide guidance to the IMA Board of Trustees on the management of 2023-2024 IMA issues as adopted by the House of Delegates, please complete the IMA Resolution Prioritization Survey below by October 31, 2023. Additional information about completing the survey and a link to the resolutions is included. If you have any questions, please contact IMA CEO Susie Keller at [email protected] or 208-344-7888.

Thank you for your time. Your opinion matters to IMA!

What’s Next with Medicare Payment Reform 

AMA Webinar November 3

Payment cuts and temporary fixes have become predictable in Medicare physician payment over the past decade—leaving physician practices and patient access to care at serious risk. The AMA is working to change that by urging lawmakers to work with the physician community to permanently reform the system. Congress needs to establish a permanent, annual inflationary Medicare physician payment update that keeps up with the cost of practicing medicine and encourages practice innovation. 

Register now for the AMA Advocacy Insights webinar, “What’s Next with Medicare Payment Reform,”

on Friday, November 3 at 1 p.m. CT to hear about: 

• Where Medicare payment reform stands now 
• How the AMA, alongside state and national medical specialty societies, is pushing for permanent payment reform 
• How you can get involved in these advocacy efforts

Moderator: 

• Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, Chair, AMA Board of Trustees 

Speakers:

• G. Ray Callas, MD, President-Elect, Texas Medical Association 
• Katie Orrico, Senior Vice President, Health Policy and Advocacy, American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons 
• Todd Askew, Senior Vice President, Advocacy, American Medical Association 

It's Time To Renew Your IMA Membership!

Be on the lookout for an IMA Membership invoice in October.

Why Join IMA?

When you join the Idaho Medical Association, you hire a powerful staff to protect the viability of your practice. By protecting your practice from legal, legislative, and regulatory intrusions, your IMA membership lets you focus on what’s really important: Your Patients. Become a member today and join the IMA Community of over 4,000 Idaho physicians and medical professionals.

* Don't forget: If you pay your AMA dues through the IMA, the IMA benefits.



Visit www.idmed.org TODAY to easily join or renew for 2023!

No Surprises Act Updates

CMS announced that it has reopened the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) portal for new single and bundled (but not batched) claims.

Following the TMA III and TMA IV decisions, the IDR portal was suspended on August 3 for all claims, and on September 21, the portal was partially reopened only for single and bundled claims submitted to the portal on or before August 3. For those bringing single or bundled claims to IDR where the initiation deadline would have been between August 3 and November 3, there has been a 20-business day extension to initiate a new dispute (normally 4 business days). Additionally, parties will have 10 business days to select an IDR Entity (up from 3 days). See this CMS FAQ for details. 

The portal remains closed for all batched claims (new and previously initiated) as CMS works to bring guidance and then portal functions/coding in line with the TMA IV decision that vacated the previously established batching requirements. While frustrating for physicians looking to bring batched claims to IDR, CMS has assured the AMA they are focused on opening the portal to all claims as soon as possible and will consider similar timeline extensions.

CMS also announced an initial six-month period of enforcement discretion related to the TMA III decision, which vacated many of the provisions related to the calculation of the qualifying payment amount (QPA).

CMS states that plans are expected to calculate QPAs using a good faith, reasonable interpretation of the applicable statutes and regulations that remain in effect after the TMA III decision, but the agency will be working to assist plans with recalculation rather than penalizing them over the next six months. Stakeholders should not expect additional guidance on the QPA calculation during this time. The Administration plans to appeal the TMA III decision. For more information, see this CMS FAQ. 

Ardent Health Services (Chief Medical Officer (CMO))

Ardent Health Services invests in quality healthcare.

Ardent Health Services, located in Nashville, Tennessee, has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s strongest – and most innovative hospital operators. We are driven by our purpose of caring for people: our patients, their families, and one another. Our facilities and clinics are consistently recognized among healthcare’s best employers.

To support operations, Ardent invested more than $1.4 billion since 2011 to raise the standard of care in the communities we serve. Additionally, Ardent has invested $220 million in Epic, towards uniting our hospitals and clinics on a single information-sharing platform to improve patient outcomes and increase efficient care delivery. We recognize each hospital is as unique as the community it serves. We strive to maintain strong community ties through advisory boards, contributions, charitable care, education, and outreach.

Ardent includes:

• 30 Hospitals
• 200+ Sites of Care
• 4,453 Beds
• 23,000+ Team Members
• 6,818 Nurses
• 1,438 Aligned Providers
• 3.2 Million Annual Provider Encounters
• $5.1 Billion in Revenues

Ardent Health Services invests in quality healthcare. AHS makes considerable investments in people, technology, facilities, and communities, producing high-quality care and extraordinary results. From newly constructed facilities and expanded services to lifesaving technology and outstanding opportunities for employees, AHS is committed to providing its hospitals and clinics with the tools needed to succeed. 

OUR PURPOSE is caring for people: our patients, their families, and one another.

We believe it is this mix of corporate support and local autonomy that equips our facilities for success.

Portneuf Medical Center:

Portneuf Medical Center (PMC) is a 205-bed regional referral hospital for southern and eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. Our mission is to be the first choice for patients in the region for all their healthcare needs. PMC offers a Level II trauma center, Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) certified cancer center, high-performing orthopedic services, and a full suite of cardiac care. Portneuf Medical Group is a large multi-specialty physician group employed by Portneuf and has 60 physicians and 40 Advanced Practice Providers. In addition, PMC has one of the largest surgery practices in the state, robotics-trained surgeons, an award-winning vein center, a fully accredited wound care clinic, innovative urological care, high-performing orthopedics, and primary care to support all ages. 

As a teaching hospital, PMC is committed to raising the bar in healthcare while also raising the next generation of providers. And, as a major employer in Pocatello, we have 1,700 well-qualified employees.                                                                                      

In a joint venture partnership with the Portneuf Health Trust, Ardent Health Services operates Portneuf Medical Center located in Pocatello, Idaho. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent Health Services includes 30 hospitals and more than 200 sites of care.

Job Overview:

We are currently recruiting for a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to support our Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) will interface with Administration, the Medical Staff, and other physician organizations. The primary objective of this position is to lead clinical and quality initiatives that support consistent clinical performance and quality of care through outcomes measurement and performance improvement processes.

The CMO is a leadership position created to build on and strengthen the positive and mutually supportive relationships between hospital administration and the medical staff. As such, the CMO will work closely with the Ardent CMO, administrative staff, members of the medical staff, and its leadership to maintain the high quality of the medical staff and to help lead the medical staff participating in furthering the mission of the organization, with a duty to support the mission and philosophy of Portneuf Medical Center.

The CMO will work closely with and facilitate positive relationships with nursing leadership in order to ensure successful performance improvement initiatives and overall quality of care. The incumbent will forge strong linkages and alignments with physician providers. The CMO will support and advise the Medical Executive Committee and the Departments in responding to complaints regarding physician behavior and performance.

Responsibilities

Administrative

• Serve as a member of the senior management team and assist in strategic development of initiatives and programs. 
• Investigate and study new developments in medical practice techniques and initiate medical staff and administrative discussions of the implementation of new procedures.  
• Promote effective and timely communication with the medical staff and leadership.
• Participate in the annual operating and capital budget process providing input regarding the budgets of medical affairs and integrating medical staff and clinical issues into the region’s planning, budgeting, and marketing processes.
• Collaborate with key medical staff committees. Works to forge stronger bonds with the nursing staff.
• Participate in the development and implementation of patient care programs and collaborate with hospital leaders on medical staff partnerships, co-management, and joint ventures.

Medical Staff

• Work to optimize and share best practices as it relates to privileges, bylaws, quality, and medical staff.
• Assist with efforts to identify and retain continuing sources of physician staff and other key employees. Also, assist in the recruitment and location of physicians and needed specialists for filling hospital staff needs, as needed
• Receive, investigate, and, where possible, resolve conflicts referred by the medical staff leadership. Report complaints against members of the medical staff to the appropriate bodies. 
• Work with other physician leaders to implement identified best practices and evidence-based initiatives.
• Serve as a resource for medical staff leaders on complex complaints, incidents, and credentialing issues.

Clinical Care Management

• Work with hospital leadership on developing standardized approaches to reducing HACs, Improving Core Measures, and reducing problematic safety events.
• Work with Ardent CMO and Case Management leaders on continuum of care, medical necessity, length of stay, denials, and other key physician-driven case management initiatives.
• Evaluate the medical staff quality assurance, disease management, and utilization review activities, and develop standards to improve quality outcomes, both clinically and administratively, to ensure the highest standards in the treatment and care of patients, and to ensure compliance with all relevant licensing and accrediting bodies.
• Assist in development, implementation, and evaluation of all care management plans.
• Serve as point person for EPIC clinical resource.
• Develop and implement strategies that control the risks of patient care, monitor the effectiveness of these actions, and ensure proper documentation.
• Dedicate specific resources to patient safety, particularly as related to medication errors and infection surveillance.
• Provide leadership and vision in the development of clinical guidelines and care pathways.

Education

• Provide direction for continuing medical education programs for the medical staff, support staff, graduate, and post-graduate medical education.
• Work with local leadership to ensure appropriate administrative direction for graduate and post-graduate medical education programs

Resource Allocation

• Support the development of managed care plans and physician services strategic plans supporting the business plan of the organization and develop annual work plans to implement strategies.
• Foster an environment conducive to a managed care market with continuous review of resource utilization, education, and training opportunities that support resource effectiveness.
• Participate in information systems development to allow feedback to physicians regarding practice patterns and performance.
• Support clinical integration and population health initiatives.

Qualifications

Required Experience/Education:

• 5+ years of medical executive leadership roles preferred 
• MD or D.O. Degree required; MBA or other advanced management degree preferred
• Board Certified
• Advanced degree in the area of healthcare administration or related field is desirable

Preferred Experience:

• Demonstrated success in achieving performance goals with Medicare clinical outcomes such as HAIs, PSI90s, and Core Measures.
• Leadership of a hospital or system-wide patient safety initiative—ERAS, High-Reliability interventions, Patient Safety Organization, Peer Review Leadership.
• Experience as a hospital medical director and success on the administrative side in a complex healthcare environment or equivalent is preferred.

To apply follow the link below:

Chief Medical Officer – Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho | Ardent Health Careers

Associates in Family Practice (Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner)

Associates in Family Practice is seeking a Certified Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner, serving three locations in Gooding, Wendell, and Hagerman, Idaho.

If you would like more information and to apply, email [email protected] or call (208) 539-1959.